The Chase of the Blue Butterfly

A few teachers and I decided to escape Santa Cruz a couple weekends ago and take a short trip up to Samaipata.  Our friend, Kaitlyn, hadn't been yet, and we were all in the mood to get away, so we embraced spontanaity, and escaped normalcy.

almost got a glimpse

During our trip we went to visit Las Cuevas (local waterfalls), all of us had been there except for Kaitlyn, so it was extremely familiar.  (click here for pictures from my previous visit), but this time, we saw a what seemed like a million butterflies.  They were everywhere.  I was able to snap quite a few photos of different types of butterflies, but we could not get a photo of the blue butterfly that all of us found incredibly beautiful.  But it was also the most excited of the butterflies--meaning it just wouldn't stay still long enough for us to get a good photo.  So, I prayed about it, thinking WHY NOT?  I'm sure God would get the butterfly still enough to take a picture.

Still chasing that butterfly!

Well, we chased that blue butterfly all over those mountains, and at some points we swore that it was following us, but no photo.  By the end of our trip when we all had given up hope.  That blue butterfly was just as tired as we were, because it simply perched on a branch just in time for us to shoot a perfect picture. Then he fluttered away, never to be seen again.

This experience reminded me of the story in 2 Kings 6 of Elisha and the axe head.  One of Elisha's men borrowed an axe, and foolishly swung it hard enough for it to sink down to the bottom of the river.  He had a minor freakout and Elisha came to the rescue.  Elisha had faith enough in God to trust Him to restore the axe head to his man, and threw a stick into the water.  The axe head then floated to the surface and all was happy.  This is such a ridiculous story that is a simple picture of trusting God in the little things. Right after this little seemingly insignificant story happened, the contrast of God blinding all of Samaria so they could be sieged and conquered occured.  I'm not sure which of the two stories is a better example of God's power.

There are countless and continual instances when the prayers we have seem too small or too unnecessary for God to care to do anything about them.  But that is not how this God we serve runs things.  No matter how small or insignificant we think the little prayers we have are, He cares about the details of our lives.  Not only that, he doesn't allow himself to be distracted by the little things.  It all fits into His big plan.

in the middle of our picture we thought we saw the butterfly

Today, in reverence, we remember the cross.  The large action that He took for our lives.  But this large action is nothing without the details.  Have you ever stopped and looked at the teeny tiny details of His crucifixcion?  I cannot do it without welling up in tears, but every single stripe on His back was planned.  The drips of blood from his brow? Planned.  The spear in his side, the meaningful words He uttered, the convicted hearts on that day, the time of day, the way in which he was killed?  Planned.

True joy is when we are confident that He is involved in the details of our lives and comforted that the details are necessary to fill the big picture.  The master of the Universe, the God who could kill me in an instant but chose to send His son to die in my place cares enough to bless me with a detail.  If things made sense He would only be transcendant and not accessible, but He is and always will be.  The unexplainable combination of extremes: the big things and the little things--should cause us to crumble in Fear and awe and wonder.

 

I'm more than positive that on the scale of importance, our blue butterfly ranked lower than even the axe head in the Jordan River, and that is not saying much.  Despite all of that, I know that God appreciated our desire to enjoy God's creation, and amongst the chase we did.  He showed us beautiful waterfalls that overwhelmed us, he gave us moments of solitude, and lots of time to fellowship together & bond.

Moral of the story: no prayer is too small for God to answer or too insignificant for Him to care.

Here are some more photos from our time up in Samaipata:

A picture to make my mom squeal in fear :)

All four of us in the doorway of our house!

Walking over one of the bridges along the road :)

{prayer requests}

• SCCLC Teaching
• Praise God for another quarter finishing, there is one quarter left, and we are in the home stretch!
• Pray for the students as the year is starting to wind down.  Pray that they stay focused and that those whose grades are low bring their grades up, and that they are also looking toward God for their approval.
• Pray for me as this year is starting to come to a close.  Pray that I don't check out, but make every single day count for something.  Pray that I am still focusing on my purpose here, and to allow my mind to be HERE and not at home.
• Pray for the school, next year, many teachers are leaving, which leaves a lot of holes in the staff and faculty.  The biggest hole, being in the English department.  Pray that recruiting happens and hearts are seeking opportunities here.
• Seussical the Musical: 
• I have been asked to be in charge of the soloist and ensemble in the musical at the SCCLC this Spring.  I'm fighting a whole bunch of feelings of inadequacy, and I could use prayer for God to show up in me and through me as I lead the kids in the musical.
• Pray for Emily Barlow as she is directing the whole show and is going to need a lot of guidance from God through the entire quarter.
• Pray also for the adults that are playing (and still deciding to play) in the orchestra.  Pray that they are willing to practice and serve in this unique way.
• MSCrew
• Praise God A new student just applied and was accepted into MSCrew: Veronica! She is a recent believer, but she is a firecracker with a lot of potential.  Pray that she will continue to grow closer and closer to God, and that MSCrew will be part of that growth.
• Pray that I actually wake up on Thursday mornings, and I am ready to lead my kids, but I allow them to lead as well.
• Pray for the kids in MSCrew: Grace, Shekinah, Benji, Luke, Lucas, Veronica, and Heyli.  I'm really impressed and excited that they are committing to be leaders at the SCCLC.
• They have committed to leading an Elementary Chapel next month, pray as they prepare to serve the Elementary students in this fun and exciting way
• Discipleship
• PRAISE God that I have started to be mentored by co-missionary and dear friend, Johanna.  This is a HUGE answer to prayer, and I am anxious to see how God uses myself in her life, and how we build eachother up in the Lord.
• Pray for her as she listens, and guides me in my struggles, but also for me that I am honoring God through our conversations--and that I am able to be transparent: something that is a struggle and challenge for me.
• Pray for the single ladies Bible study she has just started within our mission.  We are meeting on Thursdays and Saturdays throughout the month.  Pray for Johanna as she leads.

The "Wow" Factor

Could it be a universal truth that the human race has a desire to be remembered? We have been in search for ways to leave an impression. Whether shallow and temporary or deep and lasting, we feed on the satisfaction of being thought of after we are no longer in sight.  Though it can be draining after a while, I suspect that a mom gets a small beam of satisfaction when she hears her toddler cry when she leaves him in the nursery or at school.  My junior high girls thrive on drama--though they complain that gossip goes on, they talk about being talked about and as it continues its almost as if they like the attention it gives them.  As a teacher, I am ecstatic if I see one of my kids getting interested in a book they are reading, or talking about the haiku they just wrote outside of class.  I tell myself that I'm doing something right--that they are learning and applying their knowledge.  Its the greatest feeling in the world when the work that I put in is actually paying off, even if it's just a little bit.

While I was wondering around and marvelling at the breathtaking ruins of Machupicchu, I couldn't help but wonder how it would feel like to be the Incan architect of the ancient ruin--and to hypothetically observe all of the people still drooling over my creation.  I mean what if that architect knew that his work was still being visited daily by thousands of people all over the world, after thousands of years.  I wonder if he would have done something differently--or if he'd have shown off even more with his skills and plans--or be thinking--what's the big deal?  Its just a little town.  I wonder if he failed in his architectural design schooling.  I'm sure he was an average Jose, right?  A normal Incan guy that had an idea one day--and had the guts to see it through.  I wonder if he even wanted to be known by thousands for thousands of years.

I have been reading In a Pit with a Lion on a Snowy Day.  The story is based off of the unpopular Biblical narrative of Benaiah, one of David's soldiers.  This guy decided to chase a lion into a pit and kill it--which earned him a prestigious position in David's army. One that left an impression on others.  Could you imagine the soldiers that he was in charge of talking about him as he was getting ready to train them to fight Babylon?  Or even the ways that the story might have been skewed and adjusted?  --"I heard he fought a lion with his bare hands and left nothing but the bones." --"Well, I hear that he ate the whole lion and has the skin hanging up above his bed." --"Really?  I heard he just told the story to get a job and he really ran away."  I'm sure there were more.  Regardless of the truth, Benaiah left a legacy--he managed to be someone that caused people to say "wow!"  He affected conversations just by doing what he was doing---and pursuing what God called him to pursue.

How inspiring is that?  I want to have that "wow" factor.  I want to be one of those people that makes and impression.  The ones that even after they are gone are ranted and raved about.  I want to be someone that people want to be.  Its not that I want to be famous; I'd find that kind of exposure a little too stressful.  In my miniscule span of influence--I want to be known as one who radiates the "wow" factor that only God can truly have.

But at the end of the day, I'm sure that both Benaiah and that Incan architect were just living their lives. It could have been just a normal day where they followed through on a vision that they were given, and that made all the difference.  When I piggy-backed on the tours that were given of Machupicchu I heard a whole lot of speculation: this house might have been placed here for worship of the gods, or during the winter solstice this rock lines up with the sun, so they probably did this on purpose, etc. etc.  But I suspect that if we could speak to the architect today, he would say that he dropped that rock their and it was too heavy to pick up, so... Or I'm sure that if we spoke to Benaiah and asked him why it was that he chased that lion, expecting him to go into a long theological discussion, he would say.. I just felt like chasing a lion.

So at the end of the day: I'm sure that even me: a simple Junior High teacher in Bolivia can develop that romantic "wow" factor just by living the day to day.  I cannot truly know the impact I make on my immediate span of influence in the moment.  So rather than trying really hard to influence those I see o a daily basis, I'm choosing to live for the One I want to impress: God.  If nothing else, I can influence others to do the same.

NOW for pictures of Machupicchu:

Thanks for reading!

--
Rachel

{prayer requests}

• CAMP is this week! 
• Please pray for both Ryan Parsons and Mike Banks as they lead the junior highers and high schoolers in an unforgettable week at camp.
• Pray for the HS leaders at Jr High Camp: Tayo, Emily, Abby, Ramona, Caleb, Cesar, 
• Pray for the Worship Team: Ally Lee and Myself (adult leaders) and the HS and JH leaders: Ramona, Emily, Grace, Cesar, and Tayo
• Pray for those left behind to sub for the teachers going to camp, as well as the general population of SCCLC to continue to grow in our absence
• Seussical the Musical: 
• I have been asked to be in charge of the soloist and ensemble in the musical at the SCCLC this Spring.  I'm fighting a whole bunch of feelings of inadequacy, and I could use prayer for God to show up in me and through me as I lead the kids in the musical.
• Pray for Emily Barlow as she is directing the whole show and is going to need a lot of guidance from God through the entire quarter.
• MSCrew
• Pray for the kids in MSCrew: Grace, Shekinah, Benji, Luke, Lucas, and Heyli.  I'm really impressed and excited that they are committing to be leaders at the SCCLC.
• Pray for myself as I lead them through this semester and learn how to disciple others. Pray that I will be discipling them well.
• Discipleship
• PRAISE God that I have started to be mentored by co-missionary and dear friend, Johanna Bennets.  This is a HUGE answer to prayer, and I am anxious to see how God uses myself in her life, and how we build eachother up in the Lord.
• Pray for her as she listens, and guides me in my struggles, but also for me that I am honoring God through our conversations--and that I am able to be transparent: something that is a struggle and challenge for me.

The Journey, Not the Destination

"It's really the journey that matters, not the destination." This quote sums up the adventure that was the trip we took to Machupicchu.  Adventures tend to stretch you in ways you never knew you could be.  There is always a point in said adventure that each party involved manages a freak-out or two, and our true colors really do come out. Both Jen and I had our own little freak outs during our trip to Machupicchu.

It was definitely a Planes, Trains, and Automobiles kind of trip.  Which, by the way, is a movie I would recommend to anyone who asks.  First, Jen came down to Santa Cruz and I spent a few days showing her my stomping ground.  Then we flew together to La Paz--our flight was delayed three hours so we almost missed our bus to Cusco that we thought was scheduled for 8:30pm.  When we finally got to La Paz, we made it in time for our bus, but come to find out, the bus tickets we bought were for 8:30am.  OOPS (enter Jen's freakout).  SO we ended up staying the night in La Paz after purchasing tickets for the next day, and the night bus we had hoped to be on became a day bus.

NOW for my freakout.  We got on the bus to Cusco the next morning and we managed to drift in and out of consciousness.  One time we were asked to get out of the bus and walk through a town with our passports.  As a first-time traveler I assumed this was the border.  I was wrong.  A couple hours later, I was woken up by unclear Spanish and everyone was getting off the bus.  I didn't see anyone else take their passports, so I assumed it was just a rest stop or something because the Bolivian man next to me said we were walking through an Abasto.  Before I continue, heed to my advice: ALWAYS take your passport with you while travelling.  I foolishly left mine on the bus, and as we walked through the marvelously muddy market I saw that we were approaching the border of Peru.  That is when I broke out in the closest to a mud-run I would ever find myself in.  When I reached the bus, the driver screamed at me with a whole bunch of Spanish superlatives while I tracked my muddy footprints onto the bus and grabbed my passport.  Meanwhile, the driver continued to scream at me, so I screamed back "Lo siento! OK!!?"  I know, not my finest moment.

And continuing the freakout: When we finally got through Bolivian customs, we had to cross an overly crowded bridge and I was simply confused, lost, and unsure of which way was right, wrong, up or down.  We walked back and forth across that bridge three or four times when we finally just guessed that we had to go into Peru and stand in line at customs there.  My freakout ended when we finally saw some other people from our bus in line.

We finally got to Cusco, and all of our problems ended aside from the train tickets to Machupicchu we had already purchased for that afternoon and consequentially we missed.  My new friends, the Strongs, WGM missionaries, let us stay with them.  The Strongs also drove us to the train station and below are some photos of stops we made along the way.  By the end, we made it to Machupicchu, and I'm so thankful and blessed to have had the experience of a lifetime.  

Though both of us freaked out, I was even more blessed to have gone with such a chill and low maintenance friend that I have in Jen.  She made things so much more fun, and out unforgettable experiences we littered with deep heart-to-heart conversations (as well as hilarious ones) that were truly a blessing to me.

Machupicchu pictures will make an appearance later, when I am able to sort through over 700 photos that Jen and I took.

In the taxi in La Paz right before we found out that we got the wrong tickets.

FINALLY on the bus to Cusco!

On the way to Ollantaytambo, the train station...this church took my breath away

At a wildlife refuge, we saw a bunch of beautiful animals

Peru is known for their condors, and we got to see them upclose and personal!

We stopped at a llama and alpaca reserve too, and I got to feed a llama!! :)

They are the most fascinatingly ugly and beautiful birds ever.

We learned how the Peruvian women dye and weave Peruvian alpaca textiles.

All of these colors were made from rocks, trees, plants, and berries.  It was fascinating. 

on the road to Pisac, a town between Cusco and Ollantaytambo.

A Carnaval custom.  The leader of the festival artificially plant this tree in  the sqaure and place gifts in it.  The town dances around it and take turns chopping at it with machetes.  The couple that chops the tree down is in charge of the festival the following year.

The Peruvian textiles were so colorful and beautiful!

We stopped in Urubambo to visit this place.  Seminario pottery, a world-famous potter that  just  took my breath away and convinced me to spend far too much money on coasters, a mug and salt and pepper shakers.

FINALLY in Ollantaytambo (I challenge you to pronounce that correctly on the first try) and getting on the train! 

STAY TUNED for pictures from Machupicchu!!

Until next time..

Rachel

Hello, My Name is: Sid the Sloth

Sometimes I like speaking with a lisp like Sid the Sloth in Ice Age.  It makes me chuckle, and sometimes it makes others chuckle, but its mostly for self amusement.  I did realize, however that this week I was given the opportunity to become more like Sid the Sloth than his lisping speech.  I was actually adopting the actions of a sloth.

Unexpectedly, the combination of other Mission board meetings, the Bolivian census as well the Thanksgiving holiday gave myself and the rest of the SCCLC teachers and students the week off.  I had been itching to get out of Santa Cruz and surround myself with beautiful views, so I went with seven other teachers on an adventure in Samaipata from Friday to Monday, a little mountain town outside of the city.  We did a bunch of day hikes, swam under some waterfalls, and discovered Incan ruins.  It was a beautiful and restful time.

The ladies all swimming at Las Cuevas.  It took a lot of energy to take this photo.

Seeking shelter behind the waterfall at Las Cuevas in Samaipata, Bolivia.

The breathtaking view on the top of El Fuerte.

our BEST jumping picture of the group of us.

at El Fuerte, the Incan ruins outside of Samaipata

Swingset at the top of El Pueblito

Tuesday we returned, and we were required to be in our homes on the day of the Census (Wednesday) which was also my roommate, Dpo's, birthday so we celebrated with a Back to the Future marathon.  This is when the slothfulness started for me.  We ate cake, lasagna, tacos, and more cake whilst sitting, watching movies, and talking.

Dpo & her birthday cake :)

Then came Thursday.  the SAMily decided to postpone Thanksgiving dinner to Friday in case the Census wasn't finished, so we had another day at home.  I developed a bit of cabin fever so myself and another teacher went to a cute little store called Casa Ideas, and walked around a bit.  Then I came home and started watching my new show of obsession: Prison Break (only recommended if you have a lot of time on your hands).  Then all of a sudden it was 3am and Thursday had come and gone.

Then it was Friday: our Thanksgiving feast day: The ULTIMATE slothful holiday.  Where its ok to eat massive amounts of food and sit because we are giving thanks!  I managed to celebrate the right way.  Thank God. Eat. Thank others. Eat. Thank God more. Sleep. Wake up. Eat. Sleep.

Saturday was like any other Saturday: sleep until 2pm, read, and watch a movie (in this case it was Prison Break).  I did manage to talk to a few friends on Skype, though! :)

All this to say: I was Sid the Sloth this week.  I knew I needed some rest from school and from the everyday life that tends to empty me of energy, but this was a little too extreme.  I was like a high schooler on Christmas vacation.  It was unhealthy rest.

God has shown me a little of my heart this week: if given the chance to be lazy I will be lazy.  If given the chance to slack off, I will slack off.  I went to church today with the expectation to be fed, and I was disappointed.  In my mind I started blaming the church itself and getting frustrated that I feel like I am never fed at church here in Bolivia because of the language barrier.  But God showed me that it was ME that was the problem, not the church.  My mind wasn't in the right place to receive the Word of the Lord; it wasn't even close.  I hadn't spent time with God in so long that it was as if I was listening for a stranger's voice to tell me what I wanted to hear.

Proverbs 12:11 says "Slothfulness casts into a deep sleep, and an idle person will suffer hunger."

I was in a deep sleep, and I was definitely suffering hunger.  I was not taking care of myself spiritually.
This entire week I slacked off and became idle.  I forgot to spend all that extra time I was given with the One who gave it to me.  I know that it is not a sin to rest in Him, but I need to learn what that looks like.  How to wisely spend my time with God so that I can continue to be fed by His Word and words.  Pray that I will learn how to rest in HIM in a healthy and Godly way, rather than in an unhealthy self-gaining way.  Pray that I will run away from the attractive temptation to become Sid the Sloth.

Thanks for your prayers and support!

Rachel

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PRAYER REQUESTS FOR THIS WEEK:

• CHRISTMAS PROGRAM (Dec. 14th)
• PLEASE pray that all of the kids will be excited but FOCUSED as the program is rapidly approaching
• Pray that those with LINES will study hard so that they will have their lines memorized
• Pray for the behind the scene details will come together
• Pray for MY focus and sanity as I direct everyone, that I will rely on God's strength not my own
• YOUTH GROUP
• Pray that those that are part of the Crew meetings will continue to seek God in the decisions we make for the rules and expectations of Crew.
• Pray that God will give te Junior Highers opportunities to share and receive the Gospel.
• Pray that MORE Junior Highers will desire to come to youth group and be part of the crowd.
• SCCLC
• Pray that the students and teachers will work diligently to catch up and get re-focused after such a long break
• Pray for those students finishing up their homework tonight; that they will stay focused and work well
• Pray for the rest of this quarter as Christmas is coming up that we will be able to live each day to the fullest rather than just survive until the end.
• PERSONAL
• Pray that I can learn how to REST in Him, rather than in my own selfish gain
• Pray that I will find myself a mentor here in Bolivia so that I can continue to be lifted up and to grow.
• Pray that I can continue to develop my relationships with the other teachers outside of school.
• Pray for opportunities to build relationships with my students.

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